Neoregelia plant named ‘Purple Passion’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Neoregelia  plant named ‘Purple Passion’, characterized by its upright and outwardly arching growth habit; broad glossy green and purple-colored lower leaves; broad glossy red purple-colored upper leaves; good interiorscape and landscape performance; and resistance to  Exserohilium.

Botanical designation: Neoregelia ‘Takamura Princeps’×Neoregelia hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘PURPLE PASSION’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofNeoregelia plant, botanically known as Neoregelia ‘TakamuraPrinceps’×Neoregelia hybrid, and hereinafter referred to by the name‘Purple Passion’.

The new Neoregelia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Princeton, Fla. The objective of thebreeding program is to create new Neoregelia plants with uniquelycolored leaves.

The new Neoregelia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in 2002 in Princeton, Fla. of an unnamed proprietary selectionof Neoregelia ‘Takamura Princeps’, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with Neoregelia hybrid ‘Purple Star’, not patented, as the male,or pollen, parent. The new Neoregelia plant was discovered and selectedby the Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Princeton,Fla. in 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Neoregelia plant by offsets in acontrolled environment in Princeton, Fla. since 2003, has shown that theunique features of this new Neoregelia plant are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Neoregelia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature andlight intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Purple Passion’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Purple Passion’ as a new and distinctcultivar of Neoregelia:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly arching growth habit.    -   2. Broad glossy green and purple-colored lower leaves.    -   3. Broad glossy red purple-colored upper leaves.    -   4. Good interiorscape and landscape performance.    -   5. Resistant to Exserohilium.

Plants of the new Neoregelia differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Neoregelia have broader leaves than plants        of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Neoregelia do not require flower bud        initiation to develop leaf coloration whereas plants of the        female parent selection require flower bud initiation to develop        leaf coloration.    -   3. Plants of the new Neoregelia and the female parent selection        differ in leaf coloration.    -   4. Plants of the new Neoregelia are more cold temperature        tolerant than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Neoregelia differ primarily from plants of the maleparent, ‘Purple Star’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Neoregelia are denser, not as broad and        have shorter leaves than plants of ‘Purple Star’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Neoregelia are glossier than        leaves of plants of ‘Purple Star’.    -   3. Plants of the new Neoregelia do not require flower bud        initiation to develop leaf coloration whereas plants of ‘Purple        Star’ require flower bud initiation to develop leaf coloration.    -   4. Plants of the new Neoregelia are more resistant to        Exserohilium than plants of ‘Purple Star’.

Plants of the new Neoregelia can be compared to plants of the Neoregelia‘Royal Burgundy’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inPrinceton, Fla., plants of the new Neoregelia and ‘Royal Burgundy’differed primarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Neoregelia had broader leaves than plants        of ‘Royal Burgundy’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Neoregelia were glossier than        leaves of plants of ‘Royal Burgundy’.    -   3. Plants of the new Neoregelia did not require flower bud        initiation to develop leaf coloration whereas plants of ‘Royal        Burgundy’ required flower bud initiation to develop leaf        coloration.    -   4. Plants of the new Neoregelia were more tolerant to low light        conditions than plants of ‘Royal Burgundy’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Neoregelia plant showing the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Neoregelia plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a side perspective view ofa typical flowering plant of ‘Purple Passion’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a top perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Purple Passion’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe flowering plants grown during the spring in 15-cmcontainers in a polypropylene-covered greenhouse in Princeton, Fla.under commercial Neoregelia production practices. During the productionof the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 32° C., nighttemperatures ranged from 7° C. to 32° C. and light levels averaged 3,200foot-candles. Plants were one year old when the photographs anddescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Neoregelia ‘Takamura Princeps’×Neoregelia    hybrid ‘Purple Passion’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of            Neoregelia ‘Takamura Princeps’, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Neoregelia hybrid ‘Purple Star’,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By offsets.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 30 days at 30° C. to            32° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 45 days at 30° C. to            32° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three to            four months at 30° C. to 32° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four to            five months at 18° C. to 22° C.        -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; yellow to            tan in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and outwardly arching            growth habit; rosette leaves are erect when young, becoming            outwardly arching with development; plants readily produce            uniform offsets; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 18 cm.        -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 37 cm.        -   Internode length.—About 4 mm.        -   Stem texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Stem color.—Close to NN155B.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Rosette, spiral phyllotaxis; simple; sessile,            clasping.        -   Shape.—Oblong.        -   Apex.—Cuspidate.        -   Base.—Truncate.        -   Margin.—Senate; spinose.        -   Length.—About 25 cm.        -   Width, mid-section.—About 7 cm.        -   Width, base.—About 9.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous; leathery.        -   Luster.—Glossy.        -   Venation pattern.—Parallel.        -   Color.—Lower leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A overlain            with close to 184B; towards the apex, close to 146A overlain            with close to 187A; venation, close to 200B. Lower leaves,            lower surface: Towards the apex, close to N199B; towards the            base, close to 183B; venation, close to 187B. Upper leaves,            upper surface: Close to 71A; towards the base, close to            157D; venation, close to 200B. Upper leaves, lower surface:            Close to 71A; venation, close to 187B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence form.—Terminal flat-topped compact corymb            located inside the leaf rosette; about 138 flowers develop            per inflorescence.        -   Time to flower.—Plants begin flowering about ten to twelve            weeks after planting; plants flower naturally during the            spring in Florida.        -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about two to three            days on the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Inflorescence length.—About 7.5 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5.5 cm.        -   Flower size.—Length: About 5.9 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.            Shape: Narrowly elongate. Color: Close to 91C.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: Three in a single whorl. Shape:            Oblanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin:            Entire. Length: About 4 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close            to 93D. When opening, lower surface: Close to 97C. Fully            opened, upper. surface: Close to NN155D; towards the apex,            center close to 93D and margins, close to 92C. Fully opened,            lower surface: Close to NN155D; towards the apex, close to            92C to 92D.        -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per flower: One. Shape:            Oblanceolate. Length: About 4 cm. Width: About 7 mm.            Texture: Membraneous. Color: Towards the apex, close to            183B; towards the base, close to 157D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Three in a single whorl. Shape:            Narrowly elliptic. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin:            Entire. Length: About 2.8 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 145B.            Color, lower surface: Close to 146C; towards the apex, close            to 146A; towards the base, close to 145C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Typically erect. Texture: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: Close to NN155B.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.            Strength: Strong. Aspect: Typically erect to somewhat            outward and curving upright. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: Close to NN155D.        -   Stamens.—Quantity per flower: Six. Filament length: About            2.2 cm; partially adnate to the petals. Filament color:            Close to NN155D. Anther shape: Lanceolate. Anther length:            About 5 mm. Anther color: Close to 155A. Pollen amount:            Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 158C.        -   Pistils.—Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About            4.7 cm. Stigma shape: Oval, elongated. Stigma color: Close            to N155C. Style length: About 2.6 cm. Style color: Close to            NN155D. Ovary color: Close to NN155C.        -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed production have not been observed            on plants of the new Neoregelia.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Neoregelia have been    observed to tolerate temperatures ranging from about 2° C. to about    37° C.-   Interior & garden performance: Plants of the new Neoregelia have    been observed to have good postproduction longevity under interior    conditions and to have good garden performance.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Neoregelia have been    observed to be resistant to Exserohilium. Resistance to pests and    other pathogens common to Neoregelia plants has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Neoregelia plant named ‘PurplePassion’ as illustrated and described.